


Goodbye, Goodbye

by LiviJoyann



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Ben Hargreeves is Alive, Brotherly Love, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gay Male Character, Good Brother Ben Hargreeves, Good Brother Diego Hargreeves, Good Brother Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Team as Family, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-09 06:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18632572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiviJoyann/pseuds/LiviJoyann
Summary: As the Hargreeves family is rebuilt to be the functioning team they've always needed following the Apocalypse, there doesn't seem to be room for Klaus and his "shenanigans". When he realizes that he's just weighing his family down, Klaus leaves the Academy without any plans of returning. His siblings realize what he really means to the team and push for his return (very heavy Ben&Klaus brotherly relationship).





	1. Ciao

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to those of you who followed my last Klaus-centric story! Welcome to any newcomers. This was by far the crowd favorite regarding my list of fics I want to write, so I am writing it first. Let me know what you think!

Everything changed when they turned back the clock. Well… obviously, their bodies did first off. Being a gangly crew of awkward, pubescent 13-year-olds was  _kind_ of amusing and awful all at once. They could run around like careless kids again, even with their 30-year-old brains. The downside was a big one though- Dad… Dear ol' Daddy Reggie.

They had to pretend like the time change had never happened; like they belonged in this time period. If they didn't, Five said the repercussions would be great. He tried to explain it to his siblings, but everyone shrugged him off once he started throwing around terms like "quantum relationships" and "sequential, exponential decay and destruction".

Anyway, there were other changes too- More important changes when it came down to it. Changes in their family dynamic; their sibling dynamic. It only took the damn apocalypse for everyone to get their shit together and realize that they had to stop constantly resisting one another and work as a team again… as a  _family_. And this time, without feeding into Dad's screwy bullshit that wedged them all apart and held them back from being truly functioning human beings.

It was really an "if I knew then what I knew now" kind of situation.

There was such an enthusiasm; such a drive to fix everything. There was stress too. It felt like everyone had some hidden edge inside that warned them not to make the wrong move and somehow trigger a domino effect of events that would ultimately lead to the destruction of the world  _again_ in seventeen years.

The main objectives were assimilating Vanya and letting her get everything off her chest and reversing the actions leading to Ben's death.

Speaking of which, everyone was  _thrilled_ about Ben. Why wouldn't they be? His death was really the thing that drove them apart in the end. He was the subtle family rock; Ben with his quiet but supportive, reasonable ways and caring persona. He may not be as in-your-face as his siblings and he may not be the typical leader, but he  _was_ the unsaid glue that allowed this shit-storm of a family to hold together.

And now they had him back. They should be unstoppable, right?

Naturally, this elation over Ben and the 17-years' worth of catching up kind of pushed Klaus to the side even more than usual. He didn't mind. He understood. He was just so damn happy for his little Benny-Boy.

The first night, in particular, was strange for Number Six- Klaus knew it. How could it not be? Almost two decades being dead and then unexpectedly yanked back into the living?

It was strange for Klaus too. Without Ben's spirit constantly close by, it felt like he lost part of himself. Even if Ben didn't show himself 24/7 or was off doing other ghost-things, Klaus could always feel his brother with him, like a part of his soul was bonded to the lost soul of Number Six… Like due to his powers, they were biologically woven together. It left an inexplicable feeling of emptiness within him without it, even if he  _was_ elated for his brother.

* * *

_Teenage-Klaus lay in his unusually large bed, curled away from the door and facing the wall that was not yet completely covered in scribbles like his wall in 17 years was. He was just only entering his more… angsty of phases if he remembered correctly. Oh, the joys of puberty._

_Once the commotion of the day died down- turning into kids, traveling back in time, consoling a panicking Vanya, reconnecting with an alive Ben… There was just an odd quiet, stillness._

_Klaus didn't like quiet_ _**or** _ _stillness. It's why he always filled his with ear-splitting music, hot bodies, flashing lights, and plenty of drugs. Klaus didn't have any of those things right now though. He was trying to be better after all, and what better time to do so than now?_

_The one thing he did feel like he couldn't quite deal without though, was the other pea to his pod; his other bird of a feather; his carbon copy; the other half to his broken whole…_

_When Number Four heard small footsteps push through his slightly-open door, making their way to his bed where a small-framed body timidly climbed into the empty space behind him, Klaus knew that his brother felt the very same way. Of course, he did. Even if they were separated in the literal sense, they still operated on the same wavelength._

_Without a word, Klaus took the second pillow he was lying on and pushed it over to Ben's side of the bed, earning a shy, grateful smile from the kid. They didn't make a big deal out of this- it just felt right._

_Falling back onto his pillow, Klaus curled towards Ben, bunching up his blankets in his hands and pulling it tightly over his shoulder, bundling himself up, finally comfortable with the presence he had been missing._

_Ben did the same, and both boys fell asleep almost instantly. No other words were needed._

* * *

Klaus doubted that they'd ever be able to be apart. Sharing your living soul with someone for that long… it was a lot. Neither of them minded. It was just a fact that they were joined at the hip at this point.

After that first night though, things got a little hectic. They realized that there were only six days left until Ben's original death. Five and Ben were tirelessly working together to trace his actions and study the incident, trying to piece together a plan that would indefinitely reverse that awful moment.

Klaus wasn't invited. He followed them around at first, but he was more of a distraction than a helping hand. He got them kicked out of the library for scaling down the tower of balconies with his newly-restored, nimble body. He got bored and tied Five's shoes together for laughs. He spun around so fast in a spinny chair that he threw up the host of junk food he had just eaten (his teenage body was constantly craving everything in sight).

Anyway… Apparently, Five didn't like people having  _fun_ and rudely suggested that Klaus stay home and help the other siblings or do whatever it is that "Klaus's do".

"And that doesn't mean hard drugs and narcotics." Five added before Klaus could even suggest it.

He didn't have much luck with Allison, Luther, Diego, and Vanya either. They were all training with their powers, and Klaus didn't exactly have a "trainable" power. He just got in the way there too.

"Klaus, why don't you go help Ben and Five?"

"I  _tried_. They don't want me." Klaus pouted to Allison who was slowly going crazy from his little game of trying to fling rubber bands at Luther's head as he taught Vanya how to mix in her powers with hand-to-hand combat with the help of Numbers 2 and 3.

"Then… I don't know. Go help Mom with something." Diego cut in, easily dodging one of Vanya's blows.

" _What?_ No… We're supposed to be doing big things! Saving the future world and whatnot. I wanna help."

"I know you do. Just… Give us some space to do our thing right now, 'kay? We'll sneak out of the house later and get some donuts." Allison stung him sweetly.

Is that all he was to them? The annoying, rambunctious puppy that they had to keep dangling treats in front of just to keep busy and out of the way?

Donuts  _did_ sound really good…

But Klaus didn't want to be that anymore. Everyone else was changing- trying to be better- why couldn't he? The sober thing was just the start of it, but even that was hard as hell still. Every single waking moment was spent shaking with a constant craving buzz. He had to constantly be fiddling with something- biting his nails, tapping his fingers, squeezing something squeezable…  _Anything_ to distract him from that intense sensation of pure  _need_.

That was partially the reason he was trying so hard to be around his siblings. He needed people. He needed his family. He couldn't do this alone. The first step was admitting that to himself. It was hard, but he finally got there.

Step two was admitting it to them. That part was equally difficult. Instead of healthy conversation, Klaus's approach was to annoy the shit out of them until they pushed him away. Old habits die hard, he supposed.

Even worse, with sobriety brought the incessant badgering from the dead. It was the worse it's ever been too- He had the strength that he recently attained; the strength that made the voices louder and the spirits tangible. But the control… Maybe it was something with puberty or his pre-mature vessel, but he felt like he had no  _control_ over his power anymore, even if he barely had any before.

So, it was stronger, wilder, and untamed. Klaus was struggling. He was really struggling. It was so torturous just knowing that he could end the background torment with one single prick of the needle or pop of the pill. He could only imagine how disappointed they all would be in him though. He'd be disappointed in himself.

Ben being alive, Vanya being included, the apocalypse being reversed… There were just too many important things to do for Klaus to be drawing attention to himself. His siblings were busy and that was okay.

…they were always busy.

Even when Ben and Five returned from a day chasing around a set timeline and studying ways to change it effectively, they were exhausted. Klaus waited for Number 6 to get back every day, waiting to tell him everything and anything that had happened in the mere hours they spent apart.

"That's great to hear that you were able to beat your record of tallest Pringles stacks, Klaus, but I'm kind of exhausted from running around with Five all day. We'll talk tomorrow, yeah?" Ben would say, returning to his room and leaving Klaus alone again. "Alone" but with unwanted visitors. As soon as his brother would go, the voices swarmed into his head again, begging for his help and blaming him for their woes.

It was nights like those that Klaus felt lonelier than he had ever felt…

That was until  _he_ came.

Father. Dad.

Reginald knew nothing about the time travel, so he went along, business as usual. The kids were less afraid of him- spoke their mind more, made sure Vanya was no longer shoved aside. But otherwise, he was still the awful, sadistic asshole they've always known.

And with that, came the training, or rather, experimentation. For Klaus, that meant the hell that still haunted him for decades to come.

"Number Four." His father's voice came from his bedroom threshold on their third night back in 2002. Klaus glanced up from where he was mindlessly ripping apart his stuffed animals and sewing their parts back together, mix-matching limbs and pieces.

"Hello, Pappy." Klaus mocked, returning to his work.

"Come with me."

"Why?"

"Training, of course."

Klaus was  _actually_ dumb enough to assume he meant some type of training with his other siblings. He even got  _excited_ at the thought of doing something as part of the team- to finally be included and feel like he was doing something other than burdening the more important numbers.

That's not how events panned out.

As soon as Reginald had him climb into the car, unaccompanied, he started to get flashbacks to their previous soirées. When his siblings didn't join them, he knew what was happening.

"No, no- Dad I don't want to go."

"We've talked about this Number Four." The monster in the driver's seat said curtly. "It doesn't matter what you want if you can't learn to control your hardships."

Klaus tried everything. He tried to jump out of the car (the back doors were locked from the outside), he tried to cuss out his Dad (to his father's horror), he tried to physically fight back when Reggie pulled him from the car and towards the mausoleum… He was only a wiry 13-year-old though. With one swift shove, Reginald threw him in the tomb he never truly left.

At first, he tried to stay positive. He had seventeen extra years of experience under his belt- that could help, right?

No. A very big  _no_ on that one.

They were louder. They were closer. They were more aggressive. And they could  _touch_ him.

It started with a tickle on his back- a light billowing of his shirt.

Then it got worse.

They gripped his arms hard, bruising his skin. They scratched at his back and chest, leaving long red marks and light trails of blood. They pulled at him, shoved at him, grabbed at him…

" _Dad!_ " He screamed out, banging on the doors. " _DAD!_ "

…

He spent the whole night there. The only reason he wasn't torn to shreds was because of the little control he could maintain to keep them away. It required so much damn effort though, and he was already sleep deprived. By the time those big, gated doors opened, Klaus was truly exhausted.

"Number Four," That patronizing growl broke Klaus from his terrified trance. He was pushed up into the same corner of the tomb as he was when he was younger-  _truly_ younger. His hands were pressed stiffly over his ears, his body curled up as if he was trying to disappear, away from the demons that tried to hurt him. "Number Four, approach."

"Fuck you."

After getting over the very crass answer for a 13-year-old boy, Dad realized Klaus wasn't physically okay (because apparently, he was fine with emotional damage but physical is where he drew the line). He grabbed Klaus by the shoulders and turned him around, noting the gashes and bruises all over his body. He didn't say anything because  _God forbid_ his father admit a mistake or apologize.

Instead, Reginald wore a disturbed frown the whole way home, occasionally glancing into the rearview mirror at the boy huddled and trembling in the backseat with quick, terrified breaths racking his body.

When Klaus got back, nothing could've been worse than what he saw-

Bliss. Blissful ignorance.

After changing his tattered clothes and sneaking some coffee (the kids weren't allowed to have caffeine), Klaus found his siblings gathered in rec room next to the kitchen, discussing logistics of Five's master plan but also messing around and laughing. From the doorway where he stood before anyone realized he was there, Klaus swore he never saw them look more like a family.

Everyone was mutually operating a team. There was no struggle for dominance over the conversation- not even from Diego and Luther.

It was past noon at this point, and no one gave Klaus a second glance as he stiffly entered the room, sore from the night of all sorts of pain. This was a new pain though- a pain that sat deep in the cavern of his chest.

They hadn't even noticed. Maybe they were even relieved to not have to entertain him for a while.

He shouldn't be surprised. They didn't notice when he had been kidnapped for nearly two days either. It was just a little bit of a harder pill to swallow now though, with the family reconnecting and rebuilding. He was happy that they had everything they had needed for so long… he just kind of wished he was part of it.

Klaus took a seat on the couch, pulling up his knees and leaning away from the commotion. His head was still spinning, filled with the echoes of screams and accusations. He could still feel the sting on his back and chest- the throbbing all over his arms and legs.

"Hey!" Fingers snapped in front of him. Klaus jerked his head back in surprise, blinking at Five who scowled at him. In fact, everyone stared at him. "The least you could do is pay attention if you're not going to add anything to the conversation."

Klaus scoffed.  _That's_ rich. Every time he tried to "add something to the conversation", he was immediately shot down or ignored.

Usually, it wouldn't bother him like this. He was used to being the disappointment. It worked for him because he didn't have any expectations to live up to, and Klaus liked to live like that. He  _used_ to like to live like that.

"You have something to say, Klaus?" Luther asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Everyone waited patiently. This certainly was not the setting to release all of his hardships and whatnot. Instead, Klaus pushed down the sickening feeling that still sat in his stomach from the night and put up his façade.

"Can we go back soon? To the future I mean." He asked, trying to hide the pleading in his voice. He couldn't stay here. He wouldn't. Not with his powers having more strength over him than he did over it.

"If you're so quick to complain, why don't you do something?" Five pushed. Klaus shot him a look. What a prick. He expected nothing less though.

"Just- That's what we're trying to discuss. Keep up. We can't be dragging you through all of this." Luther said, continuing into a long elaborate plan on changing the timeline events and the perfect moment where Five would transport them back (tomorrow, actually). Klaus didn't pay attention. He never did, but this time was for another reason other than his usual highs or ADHD tendencies. He didn't want to listen just to spite them for being assholes.

Not that it mattered or that they cared in the end. Klaus knew he was just being ornery too. He hadn't gotten any sleep and hours of mental torment could make a person cranky.

When the family disbanded, he stayed in place, staring forward completely zoned out.

_KLAUS. KLAUS._

Screaming ensued. He could still hear them- the dead in his mind. His siblings didn't spare him a second glance while walking out-

Well, that wasn't true. Ben did. His brother slid into the couch, right up next to him. Little-Ben gave Little-Klaus a gentle shove with his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"Just tired."

Ben gave him a look.

"Really, dude. What's wrong?"

And Klaus couldn't hide anything from Ben, so he told him everything about his Dad coming in the night, stealing him away and forcing him into that damn mausoleum. He did leave out the part about them being able to touch him and it didn't come up because of the long sleeves and pants he resorted to wearing to hide his marks.

Mostly, he didn't tell Ben because his brother already felt terrible for not noticing. Klaus didn't want that though. It wasn't his brother's fault that their dad was a fucking menace.

"We'll get out of here soon. Tomorrow- 'kay?" Ben comforted, reiterating the plan for them to carry out their final arrangements in the next twenty-four hours. Klaus nodded. He let his flamboyant enthusiasm seep back into his consciousness.

"Thanks, Benny." He coddled, squeezing Number Six's cute, little barely-teen cheeks. Ben chuckled and shoved him away hard enough to send Klaus to the ground. He bounced back up in time to chase Ben out of the room, mind set on getting in the last shove while finally distracting him from the voices.

Later that night, 13-year-old Klaus moseyed back into his bedroom after a day of trying to keep up with Diego who was tracking the guy who had an instrumental part in Ben's death. Five said that "through his calculations", the man needed to die and Diego jumped up right away for the job. He wasn't expecting Four to follow him throughout the whole process, but Klaus needed a big distraction from his night of horrors and chasing after this guy's every move sounded promising. Plus, if he wasn't allowed to hang out with Five and Ben, Diego was his next favorite.

He hadn't done much to help- in fact, he certainly slowed Diego down, but it tired him out for sure and that was part of the plan as well. Klaus was worried about sleeping alone with the ghosties there to get him. He felt like a helpless little kid again, and not just in the he's-literally-in-a-kid-body sense.

Four collapsed on his bed, bunching up his pillow and burying his head in it. Maybe if he had to, he could go crawl into bed with Ben. Or maybe Ben would come back to his room… he hadn't done so in a while, but maybe he missed Klaus as much as Klaus missed him.

Yeah. He'd go get Ben.

Klaus padded down the hallway towards Ben's door. It was strange- he hadn't had a reason to go to Ben's room for what felt like ages. He remembered when he first died, how bitterly painful it was to pass every time he had to go downstairs. Klaus had felt sick to his stomach every time he merely looked at the door.

Four pushed through that very same door but to an empty, dark room. Oh. Ben must be out late with Five.

That's okay.

Klaus did have to find  _some_ distraction though because soon, he could feel their presence. It was like a diffusion of energy closing in on him, a buzz rising in his head. The buzz turned to coherent voices and soon, the back of his shirt moved without his permission. Klaus jumped up and scurried to the corner of his bad wedged against the corner of the wall. He pulled up his knees to his chest.

"Shit…" He muttered, gripping his knees tightly. He hated this. He  _hated_ this. Why was he the one stuck with these stupid powers? Why, as soon as he was starting to think they actually might be kinda cool, did they come to kick him in the ass again?

No wonder he started drugs. He knew that at this time in his lifespan, he was just experimenting with weed. It took Ben dying and the introduction to the wrong (or right, depending on where you stood on the matter) people to get into the hard stuff that would rule his life for the years to come.

Even weed would be splendid right about now.

That's when Klaus saw it- the small bottle of pills on his desk beside his bed. That was definitely not there earlier.

Moving to read the note placed next to the bottle, Klaus whispered the message out loud:

**Number 4: To keep the dead at bay. If it persists to become a problem, come and see me.**

– **Dad**

Wow.  _This_ was different. Before, Reggie never would've given Klaus anything to help him control the spirits. He was all, "tough through it" and "become the master of your own life, Number Four". The implications of physical harm must've scared him. He couldn't have one of his most enticing experiments die, of course. Then who could he torture?

The pills stared at Klaus. He didn't know  _what_ they were or how they'd affect him, but just the sight of them was enough- he didn't care. He needed something, and he needed it now.

Klaus popped open the bottle and poured out three little white pills. Three is probably fine, right?

Okay. Maybe four. He  _is_ "number four" after all.

"Heh. Magic number." He mumbled to himself, throwing his head back.

Klaus dumped the pills into his mouth and swallowed, groaning in relief as he felt the little capsules slide down his throat. Just in time too- he was starting to feel fingertips roughly gripping his arms. Within minutes though, that feeling started to fade away.  _Everything_ started to fade away- and it felt so damn good.

To keep things short, Klaus overdosed that night. Ben was the one who found him, coming back from a late-night coffee with Number Five and heading to Klaus's room to say a quick goodnight. He found his brother sprawled on the ground, his chest seizing and his eyes rolled up into his head.

Whoops.

The next thing he knew, he was up on the medical table with Mom and all six of his siblings standing over him. An IV stuck out of his arm and his chest felt like an elephant had tap-danced all over him.

"What the  _fuck_ were you thinking?" Young-Ben demanded, getting very close and personal in Klaus's already fragile space.

"Benjamin! Language!" Mom scolded before putting a hand on Klaus's forehead and then walking out of the room. The siblings all looked at him with any mix from disgust to worry to anger to irritation. Klaus sighed and fell back against the table.

"You can't just pop pills like you could when you were thirty, dumbass. Your body has zero tolerance! You're just a thirteen-year-old kid!" Five yelled, obviously turning his concern into anger per usual.

Klaus wanted to explain the situation, but it was so much to go through the whole mausoleum, ghostie-touchie, Dad-drugs thing and his head was pounding.

"Where's Dad?" Was all he managed to croak out.

"As soon as he knew you were alive, he went and dumped all your pills."

_His pills, technically._ Klaus wanted to say, but he knew he'd get confused backlash.

"And I thought you were done with drugs, Klaus. You promised us." Allison added, hurt clear in her voice.

Okay…  _Yes_ , Klaus shouldn't have taken  _any_ pills, especially not that many. They didn't understand though. They didn't care to understand.

"You don't get it." Klaus muttered, rolling onto his side and curling into himself just a bit. He was freezing.

"What? That you have a very clear problem? Yeah. We get it, Klaus." Diego said. Ouch. Diego was supposed to be his protector in situations like this. He couldn't blame them really. They just saw him dead a moment ago.

"You scared us shitless. You scared  _me_ shitless, or don't you care?" Ben asked, arms crossed.

"I know how it looks-"

"Klaus." Ben stopped him. "I know you're dealing with stuff, but what happened tonight? Not okay, dude."

And with that, they all left. They left him there as Mom came back into the room to take care of him. She didn't say much- Klaus wasn't sure she was even programmed to deal with situations like this. He liked the attention though, even if it was just his robot-Mom making sure he got food and liquids into his body while making sure he didn't puke unless it was in a bucket.

Fun times.

They did end up traveling back to present 2019 the next day- a couple months forward, actually (slight miscalculations).

Diego, Ben, and Five did everything they needed to in order to reverse Ben's death. Luther, Allison, and Vanya made sure everything was in place to prevent the apocalypse. Klaus bopped back and forth and helped where he could.

Things were still a little touchy after his overdose though. He understood that he scared them out of their minds. He wouldn't be happy either. He just wished that they'd care to see what was behind the incident though, rather than the incident itself.

"I missed this lil' guy." Klaus admired his Sky Soldiers tattoo in the mirror, along with "Hello, Goodbye" ones. Being himself felt good again… for the most part.

The overdose  _should've_ scared him into cutting the drugs out again but that's not how these things tend to work. Ever since then, it's been the only thing on his mind. He stayed strong for his siblings' sake though- for Ben's sake. He couldn't bear to see those disappointed expressions again.

Weeks went by and it didn't get any easier though. Everyone got busy again- busy, but happy… functional. The team was finally like a well-oiled machine… just not with Klaus. It was like they were never meant to operate with seven people- with Vanya and Ben assimilated, there just wasn't enough room for his burden. And could he really be mad that they were just better suited for his family/hero stuff? He was starting to realize that maybe they only tolerated Klaus for this long because they didn't have any other options. With Six and Seven though… who need Four?

Sometimes these thoughts would seep into Klaus's mind and accompanied with the screaming and touching and craving…it was all too much to handle on his own without something to help.

And so, that summer that they returned to after reversing the apocalypse and Ben's death, Klaus did the only thing he really knew how to. He numbed and pushed down all the bad feelings like they didn't exist with any drug he could get his hands on.

He barely remembered stumbling into the family meeting, high as all hell for the first time in a while. He didn't even regret it. The ghosts hadn't touched him that night, he didn't care that he was slowly being pushed out of his family, and every shaky feeling had disappeared into pure bliss.

"You're kidding." Diego said first, noticing Klaus's mannerisms. Everyone turned.

"Please don't tell me you're high." Ben said, standing to approach Klaus and look him in the eyes. Klaus just giggled at his concerned, angry brother. He hadn't seen Ben in what felt like forever at that point, even if it had just been about a day. Five was always inviting to teach him about quantum space and time equations, or Diego would take him on a "ride-along", or Allison and Vanya would take him to coffee. Everyone wanted a part of Ben.

"Fine. I won't then."

"After all this time, Klaus? Why?" Allison demanded, shaking her head.

"Great question, Sis. Should I give my answers alphabetically or listed in order of importance?"

"Just sit down and shut up. We've got a potential mission." Luther dismissed.

And just like that, Klaus was right back to where he started- both with his addiction and with his place as the family disappointment. He lost all credibility that night with them, even though he continued to fight for sobriety repeatedly after that. He knew they looked at him like a lost cause. It was just shrugged off after that, just like always.

Now, a week after that first intentional high with many more that followed, here they sat around the dining table, discussing how to take down the city's biggest mobster boss that's been tearing down the civilized public as of late. Dozens of police recently died in a shootout with this guy and his men, and Diego was specifically pissed. They all knew that this was the point where they felt they needed to step in.

"Hey, I could talk to my deal- my  _old_ dealer about setting up a stakeout in-"

"We're not getting in cahoots with your dealer, Klaus." Luther denied immediately when Klaus tried to offer something useful. So typical.

"You said it yourself, we need somewhere near 41st and Prospect. It's perfect."

"Do you really care about our stakeout or are you just in need of more dope?" Diego asked, not exactly accusingly but not nicely either. Klaus shot him a look.

"No, that's not- I do care! I've been sober for three days. Goin' strong… kind of. Still feel like shit." He announced. His record was five days over the past few weeks, but he really felt like this might be the time it stuck.

"We'll see how that goes." Five muttered. Klaus threw a plastic cup at his head.

"Hey…"

"Alright! Klaus, enough."

"What!?  _Me?_ "

"Yeah- I- Everyone, just- Klaus, if you're not feeling well, why don't you just sit this one out, 'kay? We got this."

Klaus looked at Luther, dumbfounded. Was he being kicked out of the mission right now? For  _helping_?

"What'd I do?"

"What? Nothing, nothing… It's just- If you're feeling the sober side effects and want to go lie down or something-"

"I'm fine!"

"Okay, okay. I'm just saying- we've got this one though, so it's not a big deal. We don't really-" Luther stopped harshly, mid-sentence. Klaus narrowed his eyes at Number One, his throat tightening but he'd never show it.

"What?"

"What?" Luther repeated, looking to the rest of the table for help. No one cared to interject for either party.

"We don't really 'need you'? That what you were going to say?"

"No! Klaus, I didn't say that."

Klaus locked his teeth together tightly, just staring blankly at Luther. He didn't  _need_ to say it.

Wow… He always had the suspicion that they all realized Klaus was more of a liability than an addition to the team, but he never thought they'd have to balls to voice it.

"Just… Okay, we don't have time for this. Klaus- stay, come with us, get high, don't get high… do whatever you want. Alright, so if we proceed from the southbound area of-"

"What I  _want_? Funny." Klaus interrupted Luther again, pulling all the attention back his way. He was done staying quiet and being stepped on. This was just pushing it past the line.

"What now, Klaus?" Luther threw his hands up.

"Dude, we've gotta figure this out first. Lives are at stake- don't be selfish." Diego added. His mind had been laser-focused ever since those cops died. Klaus knew he wouldn't get any support out of Number 2 with him so dead-set on the mission.

"We don't have time for your whining." Five added. Klaus threw yet another cup at his head. The little assassin ducked and jumped out of his seat, ready to do who-knows-what. Luther put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

Klaus took a look around the table. Allison, who wouldn't say anything mean to Klaus but sat there shaking her head, disapprovingly. Diego who frowned at him like he was committing some awful crime. Luther who just looked tired from Klaus's "BS". Vanya who looked disinterested in all the fighting. Five who looked ready to fight him with those bony, little fists.

And finally, Ben. Ben who was not accusatory; who was not angry; who was not disappointed…

But who also did absolutely nothing to help. He knew how much it took Klaus to speak his mind. He knew how it's always been problematic for him to contribute to the family without being stepped on. He knew how hard it was for him to stay sober and why he turned to drugs in the first place.

And yet, he just sat there, not even making eye contact with Klaus. Instead, he looked through case files of their targets, staying out of the mess Klaus had just created.

And in that moment, something clicked within Klaus. The hurt in his chest dropped to nothing. The angry tremble in his hands stilled. Rationality took over and suddenly there were just the facts, or what Klaus believed to be the facts.

"You're right, Diego." He said plainly. "I  _have_ been being selfish."

_I've been being selfish for sticking around so long in hopes that I actually have a place here when really, I've just been burdening myself and everyone around me._ He said in his head. He didn't need them to hear it though- he was done trying to get them to understand. At some point, he just had to accept that if they didn't want to, they wouldn't. He wasn't angry. He wasn't sad. He was just done.

The table was still, waiting for someone to come back with some response or for Klaus to elaborate, but neither of those things happened. Instead, Luther awkwardly went back into the plan and everything moved on like Klaus's small outburst never happened.

Exactly his point. They so easily functioned without him- it just made sense. He  _wasn't_ needed here. It sucked, yeah, but he couldn't help the truth.

With a blank expression, Klaus stood from his chair at the end of the table and turned and left. No one so much as glanced back.

He went to his room on autopilot and let his body mindlessly pack stuff up as his brain focused on a whole racing plethora of thoughts.

Where does he go from here? If he wasn't part of the Academy and he wasn't a druggie anymore, he had to figure something else out.

Toothbrush, Clothes, what little money he had saved…  _oh yeah,_ eyeliner… He didn't really have anything else to take with him.

Through his door, Klaus could hear his siblings packing up and leaving for the mission. No one came to get him. He figured as much. That was okay- it made this easier.

Once they left and the house settled into silence, Klaus sighed and took one last look at his room.

_It's been real. I tried._ He thought, almost as if he was saying goodbye to his room. There was no one else to say goodbye to, after all. He didn't feel much- maybe a faint, dull ache if anything, but there was something freeing about finally realizing that he needed to just give up and move on.

And then Klaus left. He left with no plans of returning. He left for good.


	2. Adieu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus doesn't come home and the siblings start to search.

Ben trudged back through the Academy doors. He was sore as hell. Channeling nether beasts from your abdomen was never easy, but when the shoot-out with the mob got out of hand, he had no choice. It was either unleash the beast or watch his family get picked off one by one.

"Nice, Ben." Diego slapped a hand on his back, rubbing him comfortingly through his shirt. "I know it's not easy."

Ben gave his brother a small, appreciative smile. Everyone filed up to their rooms, emotionally and physically exhausted. Ben did the same, his mind on his bed and his bed only.

Then he saw Klaus's door. He thought about what had happened at the dining table earlier that evening. Ever since then, he felt awful for not jumping in. It wasn't that he didn't want to, he just didn't feel like the timing was all there with the clock ticking with the mob meetup. Maybe he had been lumped into the group too…

Ugh. He had promised himself he wouldn't do that. He always told himself that if he had been alive, he wouldn't feed into any of the BS his siblings did. That included  _everybody_.

Luther's tendency to over or under lead. Diego's hot temper. Vanya's passiveness. Allison's ego-wall built around a mesh of insecurities. Klaus's dismissal of his deeper problems. Five's cocky stubbornness…

And overall, their lack of empathy or overflow of ignorance for one another- specifically Klaus. He  _knew_ how Klaus felt. He  _knew_ the shit he went through. He knew that somehow, his heart was secretly bigger than his mouth but he never cared to make sure anyone recognized that- he was subtly sensitive, but unlike everyone else in this damn family, he didn't ask for anything in return.

So, yeah… Ben felt like shit. He felt like he was blinded by his own happiness behind his new acceptance back into the group- into the "clique".

"Klaus?" He softly called for his brother, rapping on the door gently. He waited for an extravagant "Eintreten!" or "Yes dear?".

…Nothing.

"You awake?" Ben tried again. Nothing. Was he sleeping or was he mad? It was anyone's guess. "Dude… I'm sorry. I should've backed you up earlier. I don't know what's been going on lately, but- Klaus, can we just take please?"

Waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

Nothing.

Ben sighed and pounded on the door definitively twice with his fist.

"We'll talk tomorrow. You're not getting out of it." He said before walking back to his room.

But there was no talk tomorrow. Because when Ben went back to Klaus's door, not once but three times, he finally started to get a little worried. At first, he imagined that maybe his brother was brooding, but that wasn't Klaus's style. His attention span was tinier than a pinprick- he forgave and forgot pretty quickly.

When 3:00 PM rolled around, he started to get fidgety. Not even attempting to knock, Ben ran to a drawer and pulled out a paper clip, bending it accordingly to shove it into the small lock hole in Klaus's doorknob. With a few twists and jiggles, the door popped open to exactly what Ben was afraid of-

Klaus wasn't even there.

"Shit…"

Ben bounded out of the room, making his rounds throughout the house.

"Have you seen Klaus?"

"Mm… No? Should I have?" Allison asked, eyebrows knit together. Ben didn't answer. He ran to Diego's room.

"Have you seen Klaus?"

"Nope. Thought you guys were attached at the hip."

Ben moved on.

"Klaus?"

"Probably scoring some smack."

"Shut up, Five." Ben rolled his eyes. Vanya and Luther had no idea either. Jesus… Had he been out all night and day? "Alright, family meeting." Ben said, tapping Luther's doorframe before leaving to announce the same to the others.

"Wha- Ben!"

"Now!" Ben called back.

It didn't take long for everyone to join in the living room, but it was still too slow for Ben's urgency.

"Klaus is gone." Ben announced once he had everyone's hesitant attention. Diego threw out a hand.

"And? He's a big boy."

"You guys don't need to do  _everything_ together anymore, you know." Vanya tried to sympathize reasonably.

"No, I- I know that. This is different. He's been missing ever since the mission."

Luther sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"I'm probably to blame for that one. I shouldn't have come across so dismissive. He's probably just upset. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"You don't know Klaus. He's… erratic. Unpredictable."

"We know that. We  _know_ Klaus, Ben. He's our brother." Five tried to argue.

"You really don't though!" Ben kept pushing. They glanced at each other, surprised at his uncharacteristic apprehension. "Did you know Dad locked him in a mausoleum constantly when he was younger? Did you know it still traumatizes him? Did you know he still goes there in his head, screaming in his sleep and trembling while awake and  _that's_ why he can't stand ?"

"What about the fact that he was dragged there when we time jumped back? No one noticed he was gone." Ben pointed out, tersely. Then, his mood shifted. In a small voice, he added, "Including me."

No one added anything so he kept going.

"Did you know he's overdosed and been resuscitated over a dozen times in the past five years alone? Did you know he died trying to help you that night at the club,  _Luther?_ Did you know he fought in Vietnam? He traveled back after Hazel and Cha-Cha tortured him. Again-  _no one_ noticed. He stayed there for ten months and even-"

Ben stopped midsentence. He was getting heated and unleashing a little more than he felt like he had the right to. Who knows how much Klaus wanted everyone to know. He drew the line at mentioning Dave.

"Just… He's been through a lot that he doesn't voice out loud and everyone gives him shit for what they know nothing about. He's  _far_ from perfect. In fact, he's a piping hot mess. But trust me, there's more to him and I'm worried. I think… I  _feel_ that something's… off. I think we should take a minute and pay attention to him for once.  _Real_ attention."

Ben stepped off of his soapbox and soaked in the reactions. They looked like a bunch of scolded puppies. Good. It needed to be said in order to get them on board.

Diego was the first to speak up.

"How are we going to find him?"

About an hour later, all six of them found themselves at a dingy bar that Ben knew all too well. Klaus had a lot of connections here and often, Ben would be spending the night beside a blacked-out Number Four, making sure he didn't overdose right there on the spot (as if he could do anything anyway).

"Can I help you?" A girl asked lazily from behind the bar. Ben approached, everyone else looking around the shabby joint in a mix of disgust and shyness.

"We're looking for our brother. Klaus Hargreeves? Has he been here?"

"Hell if I know."

"Well… Is Georgie here?"

"Who's askin'?"

"Look- My brother bought a lot off of him, alright? I only-"

"Shh!" The woman broke from her disinterested trance to berate Ben. "Shut your mouth with that stuff around here. You're going to attract unwanted attention. Unless you're a customer, you need to hightail it outta here, buddy."

"Move over, Ben." Allison muttered, sliding into place next to him, leaning over the bar. Ben let her do her thing. "I heard a rumor…"

And from there, they learned a lot… to Ben's dismay, that is. Klaus  _had_ been there. They found that out pretty quickly as soon as Diego flashed a picture of him and Allison compelled the bartender (who turned out to be "Georgie's" fiancée).

"Yeah. He was here. He was here last night to do business with Georgie."

Ben felt his heart drop… He was hoping to God she didn't say that… He had a sneaking suspicion that Klaus was on the hunt for drugs, but he didn't want to assume it. He had more faith in his brother than that or… maybe he didn't. Klaus  _had_ been on a rollercoaster of sobriety versus high tirades lately. This wasn't exactly surprising.

But, still… Something was… off…

"I'm sorry, dude. He's probably just out on a little bender. He'll be back. He always comes back." Diego put a hand on Ben's shoulder, trying to offer sympathy. Ben thought about it for a second, noting how his siblings all turned and started towards the door in defeat. Ben wasn't ready to go yet.

"Are you sure?" He asked the girlfriend who still looked perplexed by Allison's effect on her.

"Ben, c'mon." Luther called back, halting all the siblings who waited for Ben impatiently.

"Yes. I'm sure." She said, tinged with irritation.

"For drugs?" Ben continued to press, needing her to  _say_ it before he believed it.

"No. For a pack of Hubba Bubba. Ben- What are you trying to do here?" Five cut in sarcastically.

"No." The woman answered. Everyone turned to her. Ben's interest peaked. The whole room's did.

"No?" Luther pressed, joining Ben's side. "But you said he did business with-"

"Not drugs."

"Then what?"

"Falsified identification. It's Georgie's side job."

"Like… An ID? Fake ID?" Luther questioned.

"Damn good ones."

Ben looked back at his siblings that looked just as confused as he felt.

"Why would Klaus need an ID?"

"Didn't say. It'll be ready for him to pick up tonight."

Ben looked back at his siblings again. What on Earth was this kid up to?

"I'm staying. I'll wait for him." Ben said, moving to a shabby table and pulling out an equally shabby chair to sit down in. No one knew what to do.

"Well… Do you want us to wait with you?" Luther asked, smartly forfeiting his leading right to someone who knew much more about Klaus than anyone else did.

"Nah… I don't want him to get freaked out." Ben dismissed but he was grateful for the offer.

"That's true. If Klaus left because of us, he may not want to see all six of our smiling faces all at once." Five reasoned.

"Well, I'm not stranding you here at this… establishment." Diego said, taking a glance of disdain around the room. "We can wait out in my car. Everyone else can go back in Five's van."

Ben nodded. Diego looked at Luther. "If that's okay with everyone…" He added. Lately, they've been trying to bury the hatchet with the 'who's better at leading' thing. It was almost humorous watching Diego reluctantly ask for permission that he didn't truly feel he needed.

"Sure. Yeah. Keep us updated." Luther said, starting to herd the rest of the siblings out of the bar.

"Bring him home." Vanya told Diego and Ben before turning and following. Ben hoped they could do just that.

Hours went by. Most of them were spent quietly, both Ben and Diego deep in their own thoughts as they stared out the windshield.

"So… over 15 years with Klaus, eh?" Diego stirred up the silence. Ben snapped out of his whirlwind of thoughts- he was stuck in a mind loop of guessing every possible thing that Klaus could be planning right now. He was glad for the distraction.

"Yeah. It's been…" How does he describe life with Klaus? He doesn't. That's how.

Diego chuckled.

"So why the secrecy? I mean, especially when we were all still living at home for those few years after… He kept talking to  _someone_ but no one ever asked. It was just a Klaus thing, I guess."

"How'd you feel if right after I died, Klaus told you that I'm still around every day?"

"…Freaked out at first, yeah. But-"

"Would you be able to move on? Or would you constantly be hounding Klaus to be mediator? Would you believe him in the first place, or-"

"Alright, alright. I get it. I get it."

More silence followed.

"He won't leave." Diego cut in again. Ben made quick eye contact before turning his gaze back to the building. "Us, maybe, yeah. Not you though."

Ben sighed.

"We'll see… Wait…"

Ben sat forward and squinted through the hazy dusk lighting. Diego followed suit.

"What? You see something?"

On cue, the screeching sound of tires sliced through the air. Smoke rose from the alleyway in between the bar and the diner next door. Ben shoved open the passenger door and rushed to his feet outside, taking a step towards where a car was peeling out onto the street and away from the bar.

Despite the sunglasses and beanie, it was instantly clear to Ben who was driving. Even if he didn't clearly see his brother behind the wheel, the blasting of Cage the Elephant's new album was enough.

"Is it him?" Diego asked, getting out to see the vehicle shoot straight by them and down the street. "Shit! How'd we miss him?"

Ben rushed back into the car.

"He knew. He knew we were here."

Diego took one more look at the car speeding down the street and then fell back into the driver's seat.

"Let's go." He said, bringing the car to life and peeling out after him.

It didn't take long for them to lose him though. Partially because he had absolutely no regard for  _any_ type of law or limit. Klaus didn't even know how to drive. That didn't stop him from zooming through the city and over sidewalks and through red lights though.

"Damnit!" Diego yelled, slamming his fists into the steering wheel. "So he has an ID and a car… What the fuck."

They returned home after that. There was no use in roaming aimlessly. They didn't even get to walk through the front door before they were rushed out again though.

"Get back in the car. We're leaving."

"What- Why?" Diego questioned, flipping the keys in his hands and taking a few steps back towards where he and Ben just came from.

"We found Klaus."

"So did we. He sped off though. In a car. An actual car."

"Well, now he's about to speed off in an 'actual' plane. So if we're done with the small talk-" Five hurried, getting into his van while the rest clambered into the back.

" _What_?" Ben had to question, although he did so while heading back to Diego's passenger seat.

"Five had the idea… I mean, why else would he need ID?" Luther informed.

"Why would he be there now?"

"Because I called and rumored this chick into looking up Klaus's name. He's headed across country. The flight leaves in forty minutes." Allison added before slamming the van's back door shut.

"Shit…" Diego muttered, slamming the keys into the ignition. And off they went once again.

Ben's mind was spinning wildly. He was leaving cross-country? Klaus had barely been out of the state unless he was so high that he ended up in Michigan by accident. Why would he- How did he- Ben didn't even know  _what_ to think. Klaus was a drama queen for sure, but this was a bit ridiculous.

Would he just… leave like that? How long was he planning on being gone?

"Ben!" Diego yelled. It sounded like he'd been trying to catch his attention for a while. Ben looked at him. "We're here, bro."

Oh.

"Which flight again?" Vanya asked, all six of them scanning the board of departures.

"8:45 to San Francisco."

"Got it. Gate 2." Ben said, already on his way there. His mind flew around the words "San Francisco". What the fuck was in San Francisco?

"There's something… familiar about it. San Francisco." Ben said, rushing through the crowd and glancing back at his train of siblings.

"Yeah! Good job, Ben! It's a city in California!" Five praised sarcastically. Ben rolled his eyes.

"I mean, there's something else. Something… I can't remember…"

"Excuse me, sir. You have to go through the checkpoint and security." A huge guy stepped in front of Ben, hindering his way. There was a long-ass line moving through employees checking boarding passes and ids.

"I- Uh- I don't have a boarding pass. I just need to talk to someone." Ben said, trying to look around the guard's shoulder. He saw the sign staring at him from a just a half-football field length away: Gate 2.

"Nope. Not how it works." The man denied again. Ben clenched his jaw. He was  _so_ close and the clock was ticking.

"There he is!" Allison yelled pointing past the man. Ben looked.

He was in fact right there- headphones and all. Klaus sat in a seat near the gate, his knees pulled to his chest and his fingers drumming on his knee. He didn't look upset. He didn't look happy. He just looked… Well, he was pretty unreadable.

"Klaus!" Ben yelled out. Of course, he didn't hear him though. He knew how loudly Klaus blasted his music. Still, he didn't know what else to do as people started to get in line to board the plane, Klaus included. "Allison-"

"Yeah, I got it."

Ben let Allison push past him, approaching the large man who was becoming increasingly unamused.

"I heard a rumor that you let us through."

The man's face turned from steely to blank. He stepped to the side.

"Thanks, Sis."

Ben ran. Klaus was second in line, fiddling with his boarding pass between his fingers. How could he just leave like this? Without a note? Without a call?

"Hey! Stop!" Someone yelled from behind him. Security guards started coming out of all angles. Ben kept running.

"Klaus!"

His brother approached the attendant, giving her a polite smile as she scanned his pass. He saluted her before turning and moving through the doorway.

" _Klaus_!"

Number Four disappeared behind the line of people who followed him through the gate. Ben had a feeling it was too late, but he didn't want to accept it.

He was kind of forced to accept it when a body tackled him to the ground though. The only reason he wasn't dragged off to some holding cell was that his siblings stepped in and after a big chaotic fight/bargain, they were let go as long as they never returned.

It was a quiet ride home.

"We lost Klaus." Ben muttered when they pulled back into the driveway. Diego looked at him.

"We didn't lose Klaus."

"He walked onto an airplane that's flying across the country as we speak."

"Well, we know he'll be in San Francisco… For some reason."

He didn't know if it was the way Diego said it or just a coincidence that everything clicked in that second, but Ben's eyes went wide.

"Wait… I know exactly where he is."

* * *

It was sunny, he guessed. He never really cared too much for sunny, warm weather but it was nice enough. It was  _different_ for sure, which Klaus really needed. Not to mention, there were fewer voices trying to attack him here. He didn't know if the trope of more ghosts taking to darker, dreary conditions rather than sunny beach scenes were true, but it was holding up so far.

"Alright- Phone, bathroom, first bedroom, second bedroom, laundry… I don't know. Need anything else?" Klaus's friend Anthony gave him the house tour.

Anthony was one of Klaus's oldest friends. He was his smoking buddy all the way back when he was only 13. They'd grown apart over the years, but they never truly lost contact. Just a few years ago, Klaus saw him at a bar and they got a drink together. He didn't really mean for it to happen, but a woman was following Anthony that night and Klaus mentioned it.

How was he to know that it was Anthony's newly deceased sister?

His friend was freaked out at first, but by the end of the night, they had a long, much-needed conversation and ultimate goodbye with Klaus in the middle as a translator. Anthony told him that he owed him big time. Anytime he wanted to stay at his beach house in San Francisco, he was welcome to- Whenever he wanted, for as long as he wanted.

Anthony had done pretty well as a dealer and had a couple of houses around the country. Klaus never really thought he'd take him up- he was always too high to travel anywhere. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity though. A free house on the opposite side of the country from his ex-family?

Sweet.

"Nah, nah… This is…  _beautiful_. Thanks, man." Klaus chirped happily, excitedly taping his fingertips on the stone counters. "You're sure you're cool with me crashing here?"

"Yeah, I'm headed back home tomorrow anyway. Stay as long as you'd like. Just… don't do any business here. Get what I mean?"

"Oh, I don't think- I'm sober."

Anthony looked taken aback.

" _You_?"

Klaus chuckled.

"Next thing you'll be telling me is that you're a virgin too."

"Hah. No, that ship has sailed."

"Well… Have fun, dude. Call me sometime. We've gotta catch up."

He patted Klaus on the back and left him alone in the neatly decorated house. Well this was certainly more of a change than he was expecting, but he felt like it was the right move.

Who cared that he kind of felt like there was a hole in his chest without his brother? Who cared that he wasn't used to this kind of silence? That it was strange without the sound of Luther's record player down the hall or Vanya practicing violin downstairs or Five and Diego in a heated argument over who-the-hell-knows-what.

He could learn to like silence, right? Relaxation. Calmness. Stillness. Quality alone time…

Eh, who was he kidding… He'd go hit the nightlife.

* * *

"Ready?" Five looked around at everyone. Ben nodded.

They waited two days to hear from Klaus… gave him space, gave him room. They didn't get anything from him though. Ben was sure of that because he never left the vicinity of the house phone.

Then it took them three days to track down his friend Anthony and make him give up the beach house address. Ben had remembered when Klaus talked to his dead sister and the guy offered up his beach house. Ben had urged for Klaus to go… partially because he himself wanted to see the Pacific, but Klaus ended up overdosing the next day and spent a month in rehab instead.

Anyway… Regarding getting Anthony to talk, Allison may have jumped in a bit. She wasn't happy with how much she had been using her powers lately, but, "Fine. If it's for Klaus." She'd say.

And then, even further, it took another day for Five to practice jumping and get juiced up for a cross-country spatial-jump.

So, it had been nearly a week since Ben had seen his brother. It felt weird. It felt so weird. It was quiet, and uneventful, and just plain lonely. He wasn't really sure how to function without being worried about Klaus tumbling off high places, getting into fights for saying the inappropriate thing at the wrong time or just… drugs.

It wasn't like Ben couldn't have his own life but he just didn't like it without Klaus. It was contrary to what you'd believe, but he couldn't even focus on his book without Klaus rambling about flamingos or something.

The whole house felt his absence. Klaus certainly had a presence. It was one of those things that they dismissed when they had it, but once it was gone, it couldn't be ignored. Without his constant, sometimes irritation attempts to lighten the mood, the place was just a giant brood-fest. People were getting on each other's nerves more easily, Five was becoming even more of an egotistic asshole, Luther was being a bossy prick, Diego was always angry, Vanya just seemed sad and Allison hardly talked to anyone. Well… Really, none of them conversed as much as usual. It was like the fun had been sucked right out of the house.

Ben knew it, but he knew it was harder for everyone else to see- Klaus filtered so much subtle love into the background of their lives that they desperately needed in their dark, edgy, dysfunctional family. Everyone loved one another and whatever, but no one was as open about it as Klaus was. He didn't push it in your face. He didn't ask for anything in return. He was just empathetic but in a way that he hid behind his other traits- Erraticism, impulsiveness, irritating, provocative, inappropriate… He may try to act like he didn't care but Ben knew better.

Why hadn't he called? Was he okay? Was he really  _that_ mad?

"Ready." Luther affirmed Five's previous inquiry. They all held hands in a circle, ready for sunny skies and sandy beaches… something Ben never thought of when he thought of Klaus, but here they were.

"Hold on tightly." Five said before a stormy cloud of light appeared above them. The last thing Ben felt was Allison gripping his hand and Five gripping the other. And then, just light… Lots of light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. ONE more chapter after this since I'm so long-winded.
> 
> And guys: Do yourself a favor and go watch "Misfits" on Hulu. Robert is, once again, AMAZING and the funniest, wildest, most adorable show-stopping character… so… Klaus, basically. But different! Klaus looks toned down compared to this kid.
> 
> I just keep looking at lil' Sheehan like a lil' Klaus.
> 
> On another note… It kind of worries me regarding Robert's own erratic tendencies. He gets bored with things easily and likes to try new projects which is great, but he left Misfits really early because of it. Sometimes I'm worried about him staying with TUA.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for all the support and reviews! You guys are truly the best.


	3. Adiós

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siblings confront Klaus and he's constantly faced with a difficult choice- Will he return to the life he left behind or leave it forever?

"I don't really give two flying fucks." Klaus breathed, gasping at the contact of the random but very attractive guy's fingertips sliding underneath his waistband. And it was true- The bathroom, the back alleyway, his house, this dude's house… right here in the middle of the bar against the bamboo table… Klaus didn't care where they fucked, as long as they did it.

"C'mere." The man (Possibly Brenton?) said, pulling Klaus by his belt loop. He giggled and did as he was told, stumbling into a back office that was conveniently vacant. As soon as the door was shut, Klaus's back was shoved against the wall. He smiled at the pain before his lips were occupied again, Brenton grazing his bottom lip with his teeth.

"Hold on…" He said, pulling away from where his body was pinning Klaus down. Four moaned in protest. He was impatient tonight. Klaus was acting on pure impulse (well, more than usual) when he went out looking for someone to mess around with for the night.

It had been three days since he got to San Francisco, and even though beaches, bars, and clubs were great, it still couldn't substitute for the lack of drugs. He had gotten a particularly large craving this evening and decided to replace it with whatever sort of physical contact he could. Maybe even a little pain if he was lucky.

The muscular, dusty blonde haired, typical "Mr. California" pulled out a small baggie, opening it with shaking fingers. He offered Klaus a pill to which he turned his gaze away from.

"Nah. I'm good. Hurry up."

"Impatient, much? You some kind of narc?"

"Do you want this or not?" Klaus raised an eyebrow, making a grand sweeping gesture at his barely-dressed body. A smile crept up on Brenton's face as he swallowed a pill and stuffed the rest in his pocket. He slid his hands into Klaus's, raising them above Number Four's head and slamming them against the wall.

Klaus was held prisoner and he  _loved_ it.

 _This could work._ He thought, proud of himself for finding a distraction. Even better, a distraction that felt damn good.

He let his head fall back as he attained bite marks along his neck. He'd take bite marks over track marks any day.

Able to wiggle one hand free, Klaus moved it to fiddle with Brenton's jeans. One of Klaus's small, special talents? How fast he could unbutton any number of things with one single hand. Practice makes perfect.

Everything was great… fantastic, even… That was until he felt the guy's lips up against one very specific area of his skin- right below his earlobe where the angle of his jaw met his neck…

* * *

" _You're little niches… I'm tellin' you, they're easy to find."_

" _Yeah? Like what?"_

_Klaus felt fingertips press slowly into the soft spots just beside his hip bones over his pelvis. His breath instantly hitched and he involuntarily jerked back as a warm buzz shot down his spine to his… "special" area. Dave chuckled from where he sat behind him, Klaus propped up against his chest between his legs._

" _Oh,_ everyone  _likes_ that _." Klaus tsked, rolling his eyes and letting his head drop back onto Dave's shoulder. His ridiculously beautiful boyfriend turned gleaming eyes down to meet his, wrapping the rest of his body in a fuzzy warmth. Shit… Even just how Dave_ blinked  _sent butterflies to his stomach._

" _Mhm." Dave smirked, not convinced. He was trailing his fingertips down Klaus's forearms, leaving a pattern of goosebumps. They reached his hands and Klaus's started to get curious as to what he was playing at. Klaus didn't have "spots". He was sure he'd have realized them by now. He's been around the block a few times. If he had these little ticks that especially turned him on he'd-_

" _Nnng… Okay, okay." Klaus squirmed in Dave's embrace as fingernails were dug into the palms of his hands. "Fuck." He breathed heavily, trying to recover from the deep, pleasuring ache that erupted in the pit of his stomach. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the way his pants were getting increasingly tighter purely for the reason of stubbornly wanting to prove Dave wrong. He was quickly losing that battle. "What in the halibut was that?"_

" _A 'niche'. Your niche, stupid."_

" _And how'd you come to figure that?"_

_Dave shrugged._

" _I'm observant."_

" _Yeah, yeah. We get it, David. You're Captain Perfect."_

" _Pfft. I didn't say-"_

" _I know. I did." Klaus interrupted honestly, sliding his fingers to intertwine with Dave's. "Anything else you've 'observed', creeper?"_

 _Instead of a verbal response, Dave nuzzled himself in Klaus's hair, breathing hot air on his ear. Klaus smirked and closed his eyes. Was it even_ fucking possible  _to love this human being more?_

_And then he moved slowly to that place- that place that might as well have been tattooed "Dave" after that night- that place that was solely reserved for Dave's lips and Dave's lips only- that place that somehow sent Klaus's entire body shivering in pure arousal- that little patch of skin right below his earlobe where the angle of his jaw met his neck…_

* * *

Klaus gasped and before he even knew what was happening, he was yanked from underneath Brenton and stumbled into the center of the office, trembling. It was him that initiated the action, but at the same time, he was completely entranced- not in control.

"Woah… What-"

"I need…" Klaus took heavy breaths, trying to regain himself from the sudden freak-out. Why was breathing not working? Where was the air? Were his lungs working right? "Air. Need air." He mumbled before shoving his shoulder into the door to let himself out. He didn't even remember walking through the bar to get outside, but he ended up there, still struggling to pull in oxygen.

"Dude. You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah… No, okay, no…" Klaus muttered more to himself underneath his breath. He bent over, hands on his knees. His head was spinning and his muscles contracted violently. "I'm just gonna- Yeah." Klaus said, clenching his fists and forcing one foot in front of the other towards the beach house.

"Want me to come?"

"Nope."

Again- Klaus had zero recollection of the journey there, but he got to his beach house fairly easily. It was the closing the door to an empty, quiet house that was the hard part. The only thing he could hear was his own heavy breathing in his ears to accompany his equally stressed chest movements. It was like someone had set Luther on his chest, forcing all of the sweet, sweet O2 from his lungs and forbidding any to be let back in.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." He wheezed, stumbling to the kitchen (he didn't really know why) and grabbing the counter. What was wrong with him?

Besides losing the one person who loved him unconditionally.

Besides being fraught with post-war trauma from a time period he didn't even belong in.

Besides fooling himself that he'd be able to survive without drugs.

Besides the ghosts that somehow still managed to find him no matter where he went.

Besides the fact that he'd never be good enough for the Academy.

Besides that, if he wasn't good enough for his siblings, he had no one.

Besides the fact that he lost his best friend in the whole world because he was just holding him back.

Besides him not knowing what the fuck he was doing across the country, alone, with no plan, isolated from the only family he's ever known in a fragile-ass state of being…

_What was he doing here?_

Panicking, that's what.

"Oh…" Klaus breathed, finally coming to a realization.  _Dumbass. You're having a panic attack._

The recognition didn't help ease the phenomenon though. Instead, Klaus collapsed in a heap on the kitchen floor, hugging his arms around himself and groaning as he leaned down towards the floor. He felt nauseous. He wanted to puke, but he couldn't. He wanted to  _cry_ but he couldn't do that either.

He wanted Dave.

He wanted his family.

He wanted Ben.

Yes! Yes, Ben…

Klaus mentally slapped himself in the face and forced his limbs to move towards the phone hooked on the wall nearby. He knew the number. All he had to do was call and solely the sound of his favorite tentacle-teammate would calm him down. He knew it would.

But when Klaus had the phone clutched in his hand, something stopped him. Call it pride, call it stubbornness, call it stupidity… Whatever it was, it forced Klaus to hang the landline back up before sliding back down to the floor.

His siblings couldn't deal with him anymore. He chose to leave that life behind. If he couldn't go three measly days without running to Ben, then what did that say about him? That they were right to judge him all along, that's what.

No. Klaus toughed it through that night, as awful as it was. Once he got his breath back, that's when the sobbing came. It was for Dave mostly- that feeling of his warmth on his neck and his breath against his ear… He hated that he had to live without him. He hated that he wasn't shot too. He hated that the only person he's ever loved that much was born 50 years too early and killed in the same way… too early.

So, yeah. Klaus never hated on himself for shedding a tear for his soldier. And maybe it was needed because, after that night, he got right back up and started on his new life again. He even was able to let people touch him, chalking up the night with "Brenton" as a freak occurrence.

Guys, girls, whatever… Klaus got around town pretty quickly. It wasn't long before he was making other connections through his nightlife endeavors- arguably more important ones. Ones that got him small jobs and gigs to keep a steady-enough cash flow.

_Well fist a cow and call me Pedro. This might work._

* * *

"Can we stop fucking around and just go talk to him?" Ben asked bitterly from behind the abandoned, parked tour bus.

"Woah, dude. Calm down, alright? We made it. We found him. We'll get there. Aren't you just a bit curious to see what he's been doin' for a week though?" Diego asked, cocking his head curiously at the sight of Klaus smoking a cigarette outside a bar against the orange light of the rising sun.

"Plus, shouldn't we wait until we can offer him a ride home definitively?" Allison asked, gesturing towards a lifeless Five that was curled up in Luther's arms. The kid had passed out cold as soon as the San Francisco sun washed down on them, exhausted from the cross-country jump. Ben could only imagine what kind of energy that took out of him.

"Offer? Who's offering? We're taking his scrawny ass back whether he likes it or not."

"Diego…"

"What? Yeah, he's pissed and he kinda has the right to be. He's not acting rationally though. This was all just an elaborate Klaus-scene to get our attention."

 _Maybe._ Ben thought, and he was secretly hoping it too. If it  _was_ just one of Klaus's dramatic escapades, it would've been over within the first day though. A week had gone by. He never held a grudge that long.

And look at him- he looked calm. At peace, even. That wasn't the sight of a guy who was angry and starving for his siblings' attention. Klaus just sat on the table of the house's back patio with his knees pulled to his chest, watching the waves crash over each other on the beach that was his background.

Well, not  _his_ backyard. This wasn't Klaus's home. His home was at the Academy. Ben made sure to quickly correct himself in his head whenever he thought otherwise.

"Alright, this is-"  _Rediculous,_ the word ghosted on Ben's lips as he took a step forward to blow their cover and get the confrontation over with. Part of him was just itching to see his brother too, anger aside.

But then, a girl in one of Klaus's extremely thin shirts appeared in the back doorway, her hair disheveled and make-up stained under her eyes. She said something to Klaus, but the siblings couldn't hear over the sound of the surf. They watched Klaus clap excitedly and jump off the table, following her inside.

Hm. So he's been keeping busy.

Deciding not to start a potential family fight in front of Klaus's… "guest", they waited. But then they walked out together, and despite the pushing and shoving among the other six accompanied by:

"You go."

"No, you go!"

"Why me?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

…No one actually took the steps to go confront their rogue brother.

And so, somehow, they ended up following him around through his day. Surprisingly, instead of sitting inside the considerably nice beach house, he was out doing things… normal things. Things Klaus was always too high to do in order to take care of himself. It was really the reason Ben didn't step in and say something. He was just… surprised. He thought for sure his brother had tumbled into a dark cycle of drugs, rough sex, and drinking by now. Not that he didn't believe in him, but this whole week had just been such an impulsive move. He thought other impulses would follow.

Instead, Klaus was… a human:

Grocery Store.

Grabbing a coffee.

Running into someone he knew on the streets and stopping to talk for half an hour.

And then, the most intriguing part, a visit to a surfboard shop right on the coast. What they  _thought_ was a visit, turned into hours though, to the point where they left and got lunch before returning to find that Klaus was  _still_ in there.

"What's he up to?" Five asked, squinting his eyes through the binoculars he had bought from a tourist shop after waking up in Luther's arms.

And that truly was the question that they were searching for at this point. That was their driving motivation for quite literally stalking Number Four around the city for all its worth.

"You're the one with the specs. You tell us." Luther said. They weren't really hiding anymore- that got pretty tiring after hour two. Instead, the Academy -1 sat out on benches in the center of a small beachy shopping plaza, lost in the chaos of tourism and beachgoers.

"He's writing something… and listening to music. That's it. That's all he's been doing."

Ben nervously tapped his fingers on the table. He wasn't liking the thoughts that had been racing through his mind that day.

_Klaus is significantly better off without us._

And it wasn't even that thought that upset him, it was how he felt about it. Dismayed. Disappointed. Jealous. If his brother was dare-he-say happy, he should want this for him.

But also…  _what?_ You can't just leave in the middle of the night and go start a new life somewhere? Did his family mean that little to him? He knew he let him down, but-

"Wait! He's leaving." Five announced. Diego reached for the binoculars but Five's bony hand slapped him away.

"What made you the grandmaster of the binoculars?"

"We have to  _hide_ , dumbass!"

"Oh, we're fine." Diego dismissed, wrestling the field glasses from his hands and bracing his elbows on the table to take a look. Everyone else followed suit, watching the surf shop from their chosen safe distance. "Where is he?"

Ben: "Dude.  _You_ have the-"

Diego: "I know, I know. But-"

Vanya: "Quit shoving me."

Allison: "Why are you whispering?"

Vanya: "Oh… I don't know, it just felt-"

Luther: "Five. Scoot over."

Five: "I can't help that you've got your own zip code, buddy."

Diego: "Guys! Shh!"

Allison: "Explain to me why you need quiet to see with your eyes?"

And then, everything was over. Ben realized it before anyone else, seeing as his dysfunctional family got so distracted easily. Number Six froze, locking his eyes forward.

Diego: "It's like he vanished or something."

Five: "Christ almighty. Diego, give them-"

But the smallest Hargreeves trailed off when he too realized what Ben had. Everyone realized it now:

Klaus. Standing right there in front of them, arms crossed and face twisted in disapproval as he patiently waited for them to get their shit together. Ben took note of how he specifically made sure not to make eye contact with him. Instead, Klaus turned his attention to Number Two who still was bent over the table, searching furiously with the binoculars.

"Maybe he went out a back way, or-"

Five aggressively grabbed hold of the binoculars and angled them straight at Klaus who was literally only five feet away. Apparently, it was far enough for Diego to recognize his mistake though. Slowly, he lowered the tool from his face.

"Oh…"

"Good job. You found him, dipshit." Five muttered, yanking away the binoculars completely and tossing them behind him without care. Everyone put on their best guilt-faces.

"Hiya, buddy." Luther offered nervously, giving the unwavering Klaus an awkward wave. "Pal…"

"Shut up, Luther. What are you guys doing?" Klaus finally asked, his voice not as angry as Ben would've expected, but more tired and disappointed. Just seeing his brother so up close after what felt like an eternity was a strange mix of comfort and anxiety in the absence of knowing how to act or approach. He wanted to hug him… or slap him… or shove him… or any mix of those things. Instead, Ben stayed back, afraid that the wrong move might send Klaus away again, this time for good.

"Always wanted to see the West Coast." Ben jumped in when no one else would. He figured Klaus would appreciate something to lighten the situation more than anything. He knew his brother. He knew that's what he would do. "Heard they have some bomb-ass fusion cuisine."

"Yeah. It's amazing. How about I send you some and you can be on your merry little way?" With that, Klaus turned, slung his bag over his shoulder, and started walking back to his temporary house.

Ouch.

"Klaus. Stop." Diego called after him. All six siblings jumped up and fell into step behind their brother.

"I've got somewhere to be in an hour. Sorry. Not a good time."

"Not a good  _time_? Bro. You can't just disappear on us like that and pretend it's okay. You could've been hurt, or kidnapped, or fucking dead for all we knew."

"Well, I'm not. Yipee. You cracked the case. But seriously, this isn't-"

"Fucking…" Ben muttered, not even sure what was to follow but it didn't matter. He rushed up to the front of the group and pulled on Klaus's arm to spin him around. Finally, his brother looked into his eyes and suddenly Ben felt why he was avoiding it until now.

So much was said in just that gaze.

You let me down. I'm done. Go away. I'm okay without you.

None of it was conveyed in a contentious sense. It was more lamenting something that was lost and moving on. Ben didn't know what his own eyes were saying, but he knew they must've been pleading " _Why?",_ no matter how stoic he tried to force himself to appear.

"I let you down. We all let you down. We got so caught up in our own shit and were so excited by the fact that we felt like a functional family for once that we didn't realize that we weren't letting you be part of it. I'm sorry, Klaus."

"We're all sorry," Vanya added, the others nodding.

Klaus looked around at all of them before putting on a small, reluctant, but genuine smile. He placed his "Goodbye" hand on Ben's arm.

"Thanks." He offered sincerely.

Ben waited for more, but instead, Number Four turned and began walking again. Ben watched him in awe… So?

"Hey. Hey, wait." Luther went after him this time, standing in front and blocking his path.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"I- Yeah… Come home. We know you're angry and you have every-"

"I'm not." Klaus shrugged, pushing past his brother before Luther stepped in the way again.

"Not coming home or not angry?"

"Both, my dude." He answered nonchalantly. He set out again, apparently only set on reaching this damn beach house. The siblings all exchanged confused glances. This was… not what they were expecting.

"So, if you're not angry as you claim, why don't you simply come home?" Five questioned as they gave up on hindering Klaus's path and walking with him instead.

"Because it's not my home anymore."

That one hit everyone pretty hard, Ben could tell.

"And what- you drug dealers beach house is?" Diego accused as the very same house came into sight down the road.

"Mm… No… But it's pretty nice while I figure something else out." Klaus said as if he was having a conversation about something as casual as the weather. Everyone was speechless. There was no way he just didn't care this much… right?

"Obviously, you're upset." Five tried again.

"Obviously, I'm not." Klaus countered with a shrug. They approached the house and he opened the door for them all. Ben gave him a suspicious glare before entering the house.

It  _was_ nice. It was straight out of a catalog, really, except for the Klaus-clothes strewn across the floor. At least some things don't change.

"Why else would you pack up and hike it all the way to California to start this whole new life?" Luther asked, not convinced either. Klaus moved to his fridge and pulled out a can, popping the tab and taking a sip.

"Because it just wasn't really workin' out."

"Klaus, I  _just_ said… I- We'll work it out. You can't just give up the moment-"

"Benny, Benny…" He interrupted, setting his drink down and holding out a hand. "Listen to me! Okay? I know I should've called. I know. That was selfish of me to make you worry. I'm sorry. But… The house, the Academy… I don't jive well and it was ridiculous for me to keep pretending like I did. It doesn't mean I don't love you guys, I just- It's better for everyone if I just do my own thing. Can anyone really argue the fact that I was just holding you all back?"

"Yes." Ben immediately answered.

"Really?" Klaus said, raising an eyebrow at him and cocking his head to the side. It was his brother alright- eyeliner, slightly-out-of-it gaze, and fidgety mannerisms all included- but something (Ben couldn't exactly say what) was purely  _not_ the Klaus he knew. He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit and it was quite frankly starting to scare him. "Because I meant that for you most of all."

Ben's heart dropped.

"How could you think that?"

"How could I- Ben, how could I  _not_ think that? Before, you were tethered to me. You  _had_ to babysit my high-as-fuck, ungrateful ass 24/7 because what else were you gonna do, right? But now,  _you're alive!_ " He theatrically acted as if he was bringing Frankenstein to life right on the stone counter. It wasn't outrageous that Klaus was being playful in a very non-playful conversation, but this time it really hit Ben as more than his brother just trying to lighten the mood.

"So, what?"

"So, you can't truly live if you're constantly worrying about my burden- I- No, don't interrupt. I know I'm a lot. Trust me, it's okay. I'm just saying,  _no_ hard feelings, but you're better off without me. I'm just sorry that I was too greedy to do this earlier."

Ben was without words. How could he say this? How could he be so damn accepting of these awful and very untrue thoughts? How could he just have moved on so quickly?

"So just like that, you're expelling yourself from the family?"

"No…"

"From them. From  _me_. After seventeen years of being attached at the hip and it's just oh-so-easy for you to drop me at a moment's notice and have the audacity to say that it's in  _my_ best interest?" Ben spat, not caring that he was starting to sound like an overbearing boyfriend at this point. Klaus's face fell.

"Ben…"

"No. Fuck you! You don't get to decide what's best for me. What's best for us is finally being a fucking family for once and we can't do that without you, so-"

"If I don't get to decide what's best for you, then you don't get to decide what's best for me." Klaus said, and how in the fuck could Ben argue that? He turned his own words against him… Sneaky bastard.

"Klaus, it's not the same without you." Vanya timidly jumped in.

"Yeah, it's like a self-pity cloud spread over the whole damn house. Luther and Diego are infectious without you there to counteract it." Five jumped in, earning a punch in the arm from Number Two and an eye roll from Number One.

Klaus chuckled.

"You'll live."

"And what will you do?" Ben pressed, still pissed but in a way that it was only there to bury his fear that this might actually be it- he might be losing his best friend.

"I don't know. You know me, I'll just go with the flow and see what happens. Hit the beach, try Sushi Donuts... Oh! I've been designing surfboard illustrations for this one guy I met at a club. Pretty cool. Visit beach bars, fuck some chicks, fuck some dudes, stay sober…"

"Is that why you're drinking before 6 PM?" Five cut in over Klaus, earning an unamused scowl from the previous-junkie. Klaus dumped the rest of the can's contents in his mouth and threw the empty shell at Five's head who slapped it out of the air just in time.

"It's sparkling water, dickwagon. Still been sober for almost two weeks now. Thanks for the confidence."

The room got silent and Klaus raised his eyebrows, waiting for anyone else to come at him with more challenges, but what could they argue? He was doing so well… so great without them. All this time it seemed like Klaus was pulling back on the Academy with his wild conjectures, erratic behavior, and impulsive actions but maybe the Academy was just holding Klaus back from behind happy… siblings included.

The reality of the thought stung. Ben swallowed the lump in his throat. If he knew this would've happened when he came back to life, he would've stayed dead. He felt like he traded his other siblings for the one person he's spent the bulk of his life with and he knew that Klaus could see that too.

This couldn't be how their story ended.

He was suddenly aware of Klaus's eyes drilling into his in the silence. His brother looked like he was offering space for Ben to say whatever else he needed to say, but he didn't know what to do. Klaus started instead.

"Well thanks for coming, and I'm sorry I can't give you what you came for, but I really do need to go. You're welcome to hang around for a bit, but I'm probably going to be bringing back someone later tonight, soooo…"

"Is this it then?" Ben finally found his voice.

"Is what it?"

"You're never coming back? That's what you're saying?"

Klaus stared and Ben swore he could see a flicker in his eyes- a break in his composure. But as soon as he saw it, it was gone. Klaus chuckled and shrugged playfully.

"Yeah. I guess that's what I'm saying."

"We'll just never see you again?" Allison asked, not even bothering to hide her pain behind the question. Klaus turned sympathetic eyes to hers.

"Well never say  _never_. You're my sibbies." He said, achingly sweet which just made it harder. "There will be… You know… Weddings and funerals."

Diego scoffed and shook his head, turning away and walking straight out of the house. Ben knew he couldn't handle any other emotion other than accusation and anger. This was hurting all of them, and for the sake of saving the mushy emotions, Diego was the first to tap out.

"You're really happy? Happier than you would be at home?" Luther asked, raising an eyebrow. Klaus drummed his fingers on the counter.

"Happy's a strong word, big guy. Let's start with pretty good."

Luther broke into a sad smile, putting a gloved hand on Klaus's shoulder before turning and walking out as well.

 _Don't leave!_ Ben willed in his head.  _This can't be over!_

Allison was next to rush forward, enveloping Klaus in a tight hug. Four smiled and returned the favor, rubbing her back.

"Klaus, I'm  _so_ sorry for the way we ignored you. You didn't deserve-"

"Hey, Allison…" He stopped her, leaning back to see her face but keeping loose arms around her waist. "Stop. It's okay. Really."

"Come home." She whispered, brushing a curly lock of hair from his face. Klaus gave her a regretful smile.

"It's for the best. Trust me."

Allison rolled her eyes.

"Who's going to steal all of my clothes?"

Klaus pursed his lips and thought about it.

"I always did think Ben would look fabulous in teal chevron sundress you have."

Allison laughed but it turned into a pained gaze. She refused to let go of her brother, so Klaus made the first move to do so, kissing her forehead and giving her hand a squeeze.

"Say hey to Claire from Uncle Klaus, yeah?"

She nodded as a tear slipped down her cheek. Painfully, she turned and followed the others. Vanya got her hug in with a slew of attempts to make him come back. She tried to empathize with her whole being-left-out situation, but Klaus still insisted that she was meant for the Academy, more than he ever was. If anyone was taking his place, he was glad that it was her.

Five wasn't one for cheesy goodbyes. Instead, he shook his head at Klaus in disappointment.

"You'll be back." Five muttered as if he knew it for sure. Ben could tell there was the slightest tinge of uncertainty in there though.

"Wanna bet?"

"You always lose our bets, Klaus. When will you learn to stop making them?" Five asked, a smile breaking over him. Klaus broke into his own and giggled.

"There was that one time-"

"Alright. I'll admit you have a strange intensive knowledge of exotic fruits. Other than that though-"

"Get outta here, Five." Klaus smirked, not being unkind but rather saying it as his own Five-tailored goodbye. Five sighed and tapped his hand on the counter twice.

"Good luck, Klaus."

He turned and left. And that was it, save for Ben, leaving the two alone in the aching stillness of the very organized, very un-Klaus-like house. Waves crashed in the distance. Ben always did love the beach. Now every time he was at one on the East Coast, he'd just think of the brother he lost. The brother he pushed away.

"'M sorry," Klaus spoke up. He could tell that he really meant it, but that didn't help.

"I just don't understand how you can be so… detached about it."

Klaus sighed.

"I just finally accepted that this is what was meant to happen. You will too."

"No. Because it's not." Ben argued. "You're just giving up all that time we spent-"

"It was a great seventeen years. Well… Save for the drugs, overdosing, living couch to couch and all that. Otherwise, I wouldn't give it up for anything. Things are different now though. It's-" Klaus abruptly stopped. Ben desperately searched his face for some emotion other than apathy. This couldn't  _just_ be killing Ben, right? He meant more than that to Klaus…  _right?_  "It's time to move on."

"What if I moved here and-"

"Ben…"

"No, really. I-"

"Benjamin Hargreeves. This family needs you. You've always been an integral part of the team. You're their rock. I just slow everyone down. This is better. It's okay. I'm okay."

 _But what about me? What if I'm not okay?_ Ben couldn't help but think. He'd never say it out loud though. Klaus left because no one cared to invest time into his happiness and now that he was finally obtaining it on his own… How could he get in the way of that?

"Will you call?"

Klaus gave a one-shoulder shrug.

"I'm sure. Yeah. Maybe not a first… to give everyone some room and stuff."

Ben clenched his jaw and looked down at the pristine tile flooring. He tried to imagine life without his total disaster of a brother. He couldn't.

Apparently, more time than he thought passed because Klaus spoke up.

"Ben?"

"I just-" He wanted to go into a whole onslaught of questions, but he still was stuck on that one. "How can you leave so easily?"

Klaus gave him a disgusting look of sympathy. He didn't want his pity. He wanted him to stop playing house and come back to his home- his real home.

"You know me. Got a talent for pushing things down pretty-"

"Yeah, but not me." Ben couldn't help but burst out. "Never me."

Klaus sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Ben waited for his response, not able to bear the thought of turning and leaving his brother here across the country forever.

"I've gotta get ready. I'll call sometime, 'kay?"

And then Klaus was the one to turn and go, disappearing into one of the bedrooms and leaving Ben alone quite literally  _and_ metaphorically. He stayed there, frozen in the kitchen for a while before he found some strength in himself to painfully move outside where his siblings stood waiting.

"Hey…" Allison was the first to offer an arm around his shoulder, rubbing his arm through his hoodie. "You okay?"

"Was I just dumped?" Ben asked, his dark humor showing through. Allison chuckled sadly.

"It would appear so."

~X~

Had it really been a month already? It seemed too long but also too short to be true all at once. It was neither a good or bad thing, it just… was fact.

Klaus left home a month ago. He's been going it alone for longer than he initially expected to be able to, and he was proud of himself for the fact. Just the thought that he was indeed able to function as a real human being without his ghost-life-coach was comforting for him to know. His whole life, he never thought he would've made it this far.

Life had been fun if he had to describe it in simple terms. He stayed at the surf shop, digging into his illustration skills that fell to the wayside after the hardcore drugs started taking over. He had a few friends there that he worked with and it was fun enough, especially when he was making money while doing it.

The nightlife was great- it was California after all. If anything was satisfied here, it was his broad and wild sex drive. Nothing to complain about there.

The beach was nice. Klaus liked to just lie out on the sand in his backyard most evenings, watching the sun sink below the horizon and smoking a cigarette.

So, yeah… Things were… good.

To say they were great, however, would be a stretch.

After his family had left that night three weeks ago, he broke down immediately. It was emotionally tolling to keep up that 'I-don't-care-anymore' persona. Part of him did accept that just wasn't cut out for the Academy life, but an even bigger part of him hated the idea of letting it go. He may have put on a strong face for his siblings, but inside, just seeing them in the flesh (especially Ben) created a world of turmoil and doubt within him.

Maybe this was wrong.

Maybe he overreacted.

Maybe he  _did_ belong at the Academy, and he was just being a stubborn little bitch.

Maybe things would change if he went back. Maybe his siblings were serious about making changes. Maybe there was hope for a functioning family of Seven.

But after Klaus broke down with his hands shaking and tears stinging his eyes, he wiped those disbeliefs away and toughed through it.

The only thing he was foreseeing was it continuing to be a problem for the month to come. Every time he glanced at a TV in the bar or flipped across a channel at home and saw a news story about the 'New and Improved Umbrella Academy Saving the Day', it sent spikes through his heart.

He didn't deny that part of him still yearned to be a part of it- a part of his family, his team… But something always held him back from picking up the phone or buying a one-way plane ticket back. It may have been his tenacious idea of proving them all wrong and sticking to his word. It may have been the memory of what his whole situation felt like right up until he left. It may have been his persisting belief that they were better out without him.

Whatever it was, it built a high enough wall for Klaus to never make the true jump. This was his life now. This is what he decided, and he was doing fine.

Mostly…

About halfway through his time there, he did have a minor instance of relapse. He agreed to a little glass of beer, and everything went downhill from there. Beer turned into tequila that later turned into ecstasy. The whole week was shot- completely controlled by Klaus's fight to get sober again.

He did it- Thank God. He was walking on thin ice though. Not a day passed by where he didn't get the sudden urge to find the nearest dealer and blow whatever cash he had on whatever he could find.

Some nights, the ghosts would find him. They'd scream. They'd beg. They'd try to touch him. Klaus didn't get sleep those nights. Without some kind of anchor- another person or another trusted ghost like Benny was, there was nothing to focus his other energy on and he'd spiral into a dark place that he unwillingly shared with the dead.

Then, some days, he'd just be plain sad. Before, it was just a constant numbness, but that lack of feeling was to push down the otherwise overabundance of said feeling. Depression, anxiety, loneliness… You name it, Klaus has got it. Could you blame him for some of the shit he's seen?

All of these instances ended in Klaus gripping the house phone tightly in hand, his home phone number playing on repeat in his mind. If he so much as heard his siblings' voices though, he knew he'd break. He'd buy the nearest ticket home and that would be the end of his independence.

And so, Klaus hadn't called like he promised to. He  _did_ say that he'd wait a while anyway. It was so empty not having Ben's 24/7 voice of reason though. He tried to fill the silence with music, TV, clubs, people, sex, and whatever else, but he couldn't help that he just  _missed_ his brother terribly.

_Keep going, Klaus. You got this._

But did he? After a month, he thought his homesickness would fade, but it seemed to only get stronger. The damn news anchor on the TV wasn't helping either.

"…have done it again. Still keeping a wide breadth away from the media, one of the Academy members- fans may remember him as 'Space Boy'- did quickly comment after a job well done yesterday."

"It just made sense for us even after all those years apart. We don't regret anything- the distance has definitely made us stronger and it's helped us work out some of the problems preventing us from being a true team before."

"But what about The Séance? He's no longer part of the team, am I correct?"

Klaus watched Luther's face fall on the TV, even below his mask (they toned down from their old masks and adopted a simpler all-black… thank the lawd).

"Uh, yeah."

"Does he ever plan on-"

Klaus flipped off the TV.

Ugh.

_Ring… Ring… Ring…_

Klaus jumped at the sound of the phone. He never did like this thing. It was much too loud for a small house. He stumbled over boxes to reach it, expecting a call from his friend about their plans for tomorrow night.

"Yyyyyyelllow?"

A beat of silence over the phone.

"Hey."

Klaus's heart stopped- he swore it did. He swallowed thickly, his chest tightening.

"Oh. H- Hey Benny."

More quiet. He awkwardly twisted the phone cord around his finger.

"How've you been?"

"Okay… You?"

"Yeah, um. Good. Good. There's a stray cat that likes to come around. I named him Tyrone."

He heard Ben chuckle.

"Out of all the things you could tell me about the past month, you're telling me about Tyrone the cat?"

"What else would I talk about?"

He could visualize Ben shaking his head and rolling his eyes while wearing a smile.

"So… If you don't mind me asking. How'd you get my number?"

"I- Well, okay.  _Five_ found it after some searching through California phone books. Anthony's name."

"Ah." Klaus said, fidgeting with his hands. He was so out of his element here. Was this what he and his used-to-be-other-half were reduced to? Awkward phone conversations and painful small talk? This  _is_ what he wanted, right? "…So. Why now?"

"Apart from the fact that it didn't look like you were planning on doing it yourself anytime soon?"

Klaus shuffled his feet and guiltily looked down. He did feel bad about that, but this feeling he was having now was exactly the reason- hearing Ben's voice made his insides ache.

"Yeah." Was all he could manage.

"Well, uh… Our birthday is in a few days."

"Oh shit. Yeah." Klaus realized. Time flies when you're trying to start a new life.

"Yeah. Anyway, it's not really- It's- Well, you know how Allison gets. I tried to stop them from making it into a big thing, but they really want to do something since it's my 'first birthday being back alive' kinda thing. Five too- since he missed all the other ones. They suggested going to Gigi's like we always used to with Dad, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I remember." Klaus said, glad that Ben couldn't see his painful, reminiscent smile over the phone. He'd take the diner's waffles over crack any day

"So… You should come. We can pay for the ticket and everything, just-"

"Oh, uh… It's not that I don't want to, dude. I just- I'm actually moving that day."

"Oh… Like… out of Anthony's house?"

Klaus detected the ache in Ben's voice from his rejection.

_I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry, Benny._

"Yeah, I figured it was time to get my own. It's a small little apartment outside the city, but… Yeah, I rented a van and everything so I can't really… You know, I'd love to, but-"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay."

An awkward silence ensued.

"Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"How's, um… How's everyone else?"

"Claire came to visit the other day. Man, she's so cute. Definitely has Allison's sass, you'd love her."

Klaus chuckled at the image of a little Allison. He had a feeling that he and Claire would get along swimmingly.

"Diego hasn't been around all too much. After you left, he started 'working' again. Some nights he sleeps at his old place instead. Luther's super engrossed in Academy stuff. All he can talk and think about is 'the next mission'."

"So, he's back to being your average Luther?"

"Kinda, yeah. Vanya has a concert coming up. We're all going to try to go and maybe not blow up the world while we're at it this time."

Klaus scoffed.

"But what's an orchestra concert without world-wide destruction?"

Ben chuckled.

"Five's just… Five. I think he's kinda lost as a 13-year-old kid without any motives. He'll be okay though."

"Mm."

Klaus didn't really know what to make of that. He kind of expected them to seem… closer. Of course, he only had the information that Ben just told him, but with how they all operated as a team on TV, it really seemed like they had their lives figured out and were thriving without Klaus just as he had hoped.

Maybe they weren't  _as_ cohesive as he thought. He shouldn't be excited by the fact, but a small part of him couldn't help it…

"Are you sure? That you can't come, I mean."

Klaus sighed. _Let it go, Ben. Let me go._

He felt a little bit like a hypocrite for thinking this.

"Sorry."

Ben sighed. This was starting to hurt too bad. Klaus felt like another minute and he'd be on a plane bound for his lovely mess of a family.

"I've gotta go," Klaus said hurriedly, needed out of this as soon as he could do so. "I'll call more. I promise."

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

"Take care of yourself, Benny-boy."

"Yeah. You too."

_Click._

That simple, unfulfilling, yet impactful conversation weighed on Klaus pretty heavily. Every time he tried to go out and have fun, he'd get distracted and return to the house alone to stew in these new doubts and longings for home. Just the fact that he still referred to the Academy as home said something… didn't it?

But Klaus's new thing as to keep pushing through, so that's what he did. In a few days, one day before the birthday he's shared for the past 31 years, the van he rented was packed with the stuff he had acquired in the past couple of weeks. It wasn't much, but Klaus wasn't one to be tied down to things. He was giving himself two days to fully move out. Today he'd start with the smaller stuff before heading to the surf shop and tomorrow he'd grab the rest.

It was  _very_ early morning and admittedly, Klaus had checked flights for both today and tomorrow. There was one boarding at 2:50 PM that'd get him home this evening, or one in the morning tomorrow at 10 AM, but they were undoubtedly full at this point and even if they weren't, he could bring himself to take that leap.

Instead, Klaus got in the car and drove. His new apartment was twenty minutes away…

He drove 32 hours.

With a quick motel break in between for the night, Klaus finally slammed the door shut on the van that he pretty much just stole, stepping into the crisp newly-October air. He stretched, not wanting to  _ever_ sit that still for that long ever again.

The Academy doors stared at him, the house uncharacteristically quiet. It was a little after 8 PM (in this time zone, anyway). He had split the time pretty equally, 17 hours the first day and 15 hours the second. The only thing keeping him going through the awful journey was the sight of Ben's face when he saw that on pure, instinctual impulse (which was pretty much exactly how he left in the first place), Klaus  _did_ come home for their birthday like some sickeningly repulsive Hallmark movie.

_Surprise, bitches._

He stepped up to the house and already being bombarded with sensory memories up the wazoo. Klaus pulled his house key that he never dared to get rid of and unlocked the front door, stepping into the house and smelling vanilla.

"…oh-so-happy to have most of you here again." He heard Mom's voice saying from somewhere downstairs. She was probably baking a cake like she used to do when they were young. It smelled like it, anyway.

"Happy to be here, Mom." Diego's voice wafted in.

"I do wish  _all_ of you would be here."

"Us too." Allison joined in.

_Wish granted, dear Mamá._

Klaus had no problem admitting that he was just plain excited to be back. He didn't regret leaving in the first place just as much as he didn't regret doing a total 180 last second and driving here from California.

Footsteps came up from the kitchen and the culprits of the voices appeared, stopping dead in their tracks upon seeing their supposedly-lost brother. Allison's mouth literally fell open. Klaus gave a little wave, the black feathers on the rim of his jacket tickling his hand. He missed being able to wear layers too.

"'Sup."

He walked past them to the stairs, guessing he'd at least put his bag down in his room before anything. They all just watched him in awe. When he was at the top, his old door in sight, he heard Diego.

"Wh- Klaus?"

He didn't quite feel like explaining though. He was exhausted from the drive and just wanted to drop his stuff and get a mental snapshot of Ben's face to hold with him forever to tease him with in the future.

Diego's voice must've prompted Luther and Five, because both of them appeared in their doorways, faces matching the ones from downstairs.

"Uh… Hi." Five managed to get out. "Didn't think you'd come."

"Wasn't planning on it," Klaus responded, opening his bedroom door and trying to hold back the pathetic smile that crept up just from the sight of it. He told himself he didn't get tied down to material beings, but he  _did_ love his room. He made sure to plug in his strand lights before leaving again.

"Did you fly?" Luther asked, suddenly in his doorway. Klaus ran his hands through his hair.

"I  _wish_. Happy B-day, by the way." He announced eccentrically, patting Luther's big chest before brushing by him. He missed the giant, lovable monkey-man.

"Uh… yeah. Yeah, you too. I'm glad you came. You should head down to the kitchen though. Someone's missed you quite a bit."

Klaus saluted to Luther, making his way there and gathering a small following of siblings as he went. They all had questions as they walked.

"How long are you staying?"

"How's Cali?"

"Ben said that you weren't coming… Why the change of heart?"

"Ugh, some breathing room. Please, my people. All in good time." He hushed them, entering the kitchen to the sight of Ben and Vanya whose backs were turned as Vanya tried to hang streamers solely with the use of her powers.

Even the back of the kid's head made Klaus happy.

"I just want to relax, if it'd please the masses. 32 hours was not easy on the body."

And just at the sound of his voice, Klaus watched Ben's body go rigid. He didn't turn around though, as if his brother was scared that Number Four wasn't actually there.

"I  _am_ fully expecting cake and leftovers though, in case you were wondering." Klaus continued as he approached Ben pretty quickly. He took no time to casually sling one arm around Ben's neck, the other one braced across his chest. He pulled himself up until one leg was wrapped around his brother's waist and then came the other until Klaus was literally venus-fly trapping Ben, attached to his back.

Six's arms moved up to grip the ones wrapped around his shoulders and neck. He chuckled as his knees gave out under Klaus's unexpected weight. He wobbled but managed to keep standing and supporting the menace that enveloped his entire body.

"Happy birthday, bitch." He muttered, closing his eyes and relishing the moment.

"Ditto." Ben managed to choke out. Klaus realized his one arm was slightly strangling the smaller Hargreeves, but he'd just have to deal. He wasn't done with his much-need all-limb-inclusive hug.

Every single emotion that Klaus had been denying for the past month- yearning, aloofness, alienation, loss- it all melted away the second he was reunited with his bossy, sarcastic little geek of a brother.

"Okay. Okay." Ben tapped on Klaus's arms, telling him to let go. He did, falling back to the ground on his own feet and letting Ben turn around and punch his shoulder.

"You said you weren't coming!"

"Wasn't planned. I got in the car to drive to my apartment and accidentally drove here. Whoops." Klaus shrugged, ruffling a beaming-Vanya's hair and moving around towards Mom who was so surprised she dropped the box of candles for the cake.

"All of the children! How wonderful. I'm so happy to see you, dear."

"Ma," Klaus greeted, letting her give him a tight hug.

"How long are you staying?" Ben asked reluctantly, afraid to hear the answer. Klaus swiped a dollop of frosting off the cake, popping it into his mouth. He was  _starving._

"Mm… I don't know. Couple days. A week. Forever."

"What?"

"Wait- really?"

"Klaus, don't fuck with us."

Klaus smiled up at Ben but then turned guilty eyes downwards.

"I don't know. I might have overreacted a bit. If there's room in the circus, you've got one more freak if you want him." He said raising his hand. "It's me. In case you didn't get it. I'm the freak."

"We got it." Diego dismissed, returning to Klaus's unexpected offer. "No take-backs, right?"

"No take-backs." Klaus agreed, reaching for another swipe of icing, but Mom's hand stopped him.

"You can wait like everyone else." She scolded, a disapproving smile on her face. Klaus pouted, but followed suit, falling into a chair and pulling his legs to sit crisscrossed. Luther awkwardly offered up the question everyone else was avoiding asking.

"…So… Do you want to talk about this, or-"

"Nah… Maybe later." He said, watching Mom turn her back as his hand shot out for an opportunity. Diego was wicked fast with a toss of a spatula though, smacking the back of his hand. He retracted it quickly and shot Diego a hurt look. "Owwww… And oh, by the way… I  _did_  only rent that van for a couple days to be returned back to the shop in California... so, now that I'll be returning it however many miles away and a day late…"

Diego sighed, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. He pulled out a few bills and forked them over to Klaus who gladly took them.

"Welcome home, Klaus." Diego muttered sarcastically. Klaus kissed the money and held it up dramatically in front of him.

"Thank youuuu."

Luther still didn't want to let go of his previous question.

"Klaus, I really don't think ignoring this again would be the right-"

"Look. It sucked. I felt like with the rise of everyone else, I was just falling further behind. You've already all apologized, which, I don't even know if that was necessary, but I think having time to figure myself out alone was part of what I needed. I got it, I'm over it, I'm ready to annoy the living daylights out of every single one of you again. Can we leave it at that and just eat cake?"

"Sounds good to me." Five said, pulling a chair up next to Klaus and giving his returned brother a small, approving smile. "I was right by the way." He muttered under his breath. Klaus rolled his eyes.

"Technically we never really bet on it."

"Fine. Stakes are raised double next time though."

"Fine." Klaus agreed, turning his attention back to Allison who squeezed his shoulder comfortingly before going to help Diego and Mom set out plates.

"Well… The apologies certainly  _were_ necessary. Especially from me. I'm sorry, Klaus."

"Ew. The angst. Not on our day of birthing, big guy. Save the sultry sulking for a rainy day."

Luther scoffed and smiled before giving in. Klaus was being truthful- he  _was_ over it. He just wanted what he had truly wanted in the first place- to feel like he was a part of this clusterfuck they called a family. And now, he felt like he had that. It may have taken a shit-ton to get there, no matter where the fault was due, but he was getting better at letting go of the past.

He felt his chair kicked under him and looked to his other side to see Ben resuming his usual spot- right next to Klaus. Four swallowed thickly, a sudden surge of guilt building up. He could see in Ben's eyes how hard the last month had been on him and he hadn't expected or intended that at all.

'Sorry.' He mouthed to his bentacle-buddy. Ben's face fell, telling Klaus to save the unneeded apologies.

'Shut the fuck up.' Ben mouthed back, making Klaus smile. He blew Ben a sarcastic kiss earning an eye roll.

"Ready for cake?"

"Born ready… Quite literally." Klaus said, realizing that this was, in fact, the day that he was born. He and all this beautiful, fucked up specimen around him. Looking around at them all (quickly, because he didn't want to seem  _too_ pathetically corny) he realized that as helpful as it was to get a month of alone-time, he was living a lie if he thought he belonged anywhere else other than wedged between the 58-year-old, 13-year-old boy who could teleport and time travel while in love with a mannequin and the previously brought-back-to-life guy who summoned a squid-like hell-beast through his abdomen.

Yeah… This was more like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This definitely should've been two chapters, but I hate the fact that I'm SO bad at judging my chapter lengths and since I called this the last one, I stubbornly just toughed through it and made it hella long soooo, hope you enjoyed!
> 
> The next Klaus-fic I'm writing will be about Klaus spiraling into a very dark place and letting his vices consume him without Ben constantly there to be his conscience (to no fault of anyone but Klaus this time). Ben and the other siblings end up finding him in such a bad state that they decide that they have no other choice but to send him to an institution before they wind up finding him dead.
> 
> Keep on the lookout! Thank you for all of the support for this story. It was a pleasure to be able to write!


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